Neurocognitive and Neurobehavioral Mechanisms of Change Following Psychological Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder (ABQTREAT)
Alcohol Use Disorder, Alcohol Abuse, Alcohol Drinking
About this trial
This is an interventional basic science trial for Alcohol Use Disorder focused on measuring Alcohol Use Disorder, Behavioral Treatment, Mechanisms of behavior change, Neuroimaging
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- Age 22-85 years
- Self-identify as a heavy/binge/weekly drinker
- Engage in "hazardous and harmful alcohol use" (Babor et al., 2001) based on an AUDIT score > 8 for men and > 7 for women
- Breath alcohol level of 0.00 at in-person screening
- Right handed
- Explicitly be seeking help for their drinking
- Alcohol use during the past 30 days
Exclusion Criteria:
- History of brain injury or neurological diagnoses
- Evidence of current psychosis
- Past-year substance dependence other than nicotine or marijuana
- Evidence of recent illicit drug (other than marijuana) use on a urine screen
- Contraindications for MRI (e.g., medical devices in the body)
- Female participants who think they may be pregnant must pass a urine pregnancy screen prior to each MRI scanning session
- Estimated IQ < 80
- Unable to read or speak English fluently
- History of major alcohol withdrawal
- Currently in treatment for alcohol use (or within the past 6 months)
Sites / Locations
- The Mind Research Network
- The University of New Mexico
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Active Comparator
Active Comparator
Cognitive-Behavior Therapy
Mindfulness Based Relapse Prevention
The CBT condition will include 8 weekly, 60-minute sessions, and will be delivered according to the Epstein & McCrady (2009) cognitive-behavioral treatment manual, excluding material provided in the platform treatment. The treatment manual and accompanying client workbook provide detailed therapist instructions for each session, client exercises, worksheets, and homework assignments. The treatment focuses on cognitive and behavioral coping skills training, and emphasizes problem-solving as an overall approach to dealing with drinking.
The MBT condition will be adapted from the 8-week version of the mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP) manual (Bowen et al., 2011; Witkiewitz et al., 2005). The main adaptation will be to eliminate the relapse prevention/CBT components and focus attention on mindfulness practices. The mindfulness practices in MBT are designed to increase awareness of triggers and decrease reactivity to distress or discomfort in the presence of triggers (Witkiewitz & Bowen, 2010). The relevant worksheets and homework assignments focusing on mindfulness tools will be maintained from the MBRP manual.